When the high school football season started, it was a little scary for Morgantown. The Mohigans dropped their first game to Stuebenville (OH) and got blanked by Martinsburg in week four. After weeks four and five of games, Morgantown wasn't even ranked in the top 16. Now the Mohigans are clicking on all cylinders.
To preview Morgantown's first round game against Musselman, first you have to ask head coach John Bowers what his team is doing well going into the playoffs.
"Finding ways to win football games," Coach Bowers automatically answers. "We've had six different kids rush for 100 yards in a football game this year. I swear that's got to be a record. We have a couple running backs nicked up right now but you'd never know it because a different kid steps up and runs the ball. We don't have any superstars, but we have a lot of good players. There's strength in numbers with our kids and we think that a lot of our running backs still have some tread left on their tires this late in the season."
Not having one or two superstar players is uncharacteristic for the Morgantown football team. It seems to be working just fine for the Mohigans this season.
"I think our leading carrier has maybe 62 carries this year," said Coach Bowers about his corps of players in the backfield. "Hopefully we'll look for the hot hand. That's what we try to do. We go into a game, trying to find the hot hand, to use a basketball analogy, and when we find it, we stick with it. Give our kids a ton of credit because they're coming through when it's their time."
Musselman finished up the season 7-3, ranked No. 12. The Applemen are an eastern panhandle team and the Morgantown coaching staff will have to watch a lot of video before Saturday's game.
"Honestly I haven't seen them," admits Coach Bowers. "By this point in the season, through trading films with people, generally you've seen almost every team. We haven't seen Musselman at all. So we've got our work cut out for us today."
Coach Bowers then said that being unfamiliar with Musselman isn't a bad thing.
"There have been a couple of years in the playoffs where week 10 we played U-High, then turned around, in the first round of the playoffs played U-High. A couple years ago we played Beckley twice," said Coach Bowers about Morgantown's playoff history. "It's nice to play a team from a different part of the state, to play a team that you're maybe a little unfamiliar with. You know, go to battle against someone new. It's pretty neat."
Being the higher seed, Morgantown chose where to play the game. The Mohigans picked home field advantage at Pony Lewis Field on the campus of Morgantown High School, in Morgantown. Musselman was allowed to choose the day and time of the game. The Applemen picked a Saturday game at 1:30p.m. No matter where on when these two teams meet, it would be an interesting game. Coach Bowers has a lot of respect for Musselman's long-time coach. Plus, a former Mohigan coach is now on the staff at Musselman.
"Denny Price is a legend. He was coaching when I was born. He's won so many football games. He's just a great coach in a very proud area of tradition at Musselman high School," said Coach Bowers of Musselman's leader. "Coach Clay Elwinger is on their staff, he used to coach with the Mohigans. It's going to be a fun week. I'm sure Clay and I will text each other all week with competitive banter and it will be fun. It will be good; two great programs."
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WBOY. All Rights Reserved.
